Abstract
Tremendous debate has developed over the efficacy of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with fibrinolysis as the preferred treatment for acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In 2002, the Ontario Ministry of Heath and Long-Term Care commissioned the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario to develop consensus recommendations regarding the provincial coordination and provision of urgent PCI for STEMI patients. The panel's work has provided important insights into the acute treatment of STEMI that may be useful to other jurisdictions and may provide a reference for other regions considering the implementation of primary PCI for the management of STEMI patients in their community. In the present report, the evidence for primary PCI is reviewed, the important barriers to implementing this strategy are summarized and several recommendations and models of care for the delivery of primary PCI for STEMI on a wide scale are presented.